ADULT LEARNER FRIENDLY INSTITUTION

– CANADIAN STYLE (ALFICan)

2006 Recognizing Learning:Recognizing Skills Conference

October 15 – 18

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Presenters

Paul ZakosProject Manager

Lois MorinProject Partner: Manitoba Advanced Education and Literacy

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Interests and Goals

PLEASE IDENTIFY ISSUES/QUESTIONS ABOUT ALFI

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The ‘ALFI’ Project

‘ALFI’ in the USA –CAEL (Council for Adult and Experiential Learning), a national non-profit, higher education association founded in 1974

CAEL and its ALFI project promote the interests of adult learners worldwide

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The ALFI Agenda

The ALFI Project creates tools and shares information for institutional improvement on behalf of adult learners

Institutions must have the leadership, resources, values, culture, and motivation to engage in a process of adaptation and change

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Adult Learner Profile

Definitions of the adult learner vary according to who is doing the defining

Seven traits shared by many adult learners over age 24

Provide reasonably accurate picture of non-traditional adult learner

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Common Characteristics

Delayed enrolment into post-secondary educationAttending part-timeFinancially independentWorking full-time while enrolledHaving independents other than a spouseBeing a single parentNot having a standard high school diplomaFrequently motivated to study for career/work-related reasons

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ALFI – “Original Six” (Site Visits)

SUNY Empire State College, Albany, New YorkCollege of New Rochelle, New Rochelle, New YorkSchool for New Learning, DePaul University, Chicago, IllinoisSinclair Community College, Dayton, OhioMarylhurst University, Marylhurst, OregonAthabasca University, Athabasca, Alberta

Plus three:Governor’s State University, University Park, IllinoisBrevard Community College, Melbourne, FloridaRegis University, Denver, Colorado

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The Over-Arching Theme Resulting From the Benchmarking Study

“The adult learning focused institution has a culture in which adult-centred learning,

sensitivity to learners’ needs, flexibility and communication drive institutional practice.”

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ALFI Key Principle of Effectiveness

1. Outreach2. Life and Career Planning3. Financing4. Assessment of Learning Outcomes5. Teaching/Learning Process6. Student Support Systems7. Technology8. Strategic Partnerships

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ALFICan Initiative – HRSDC/FNTIPhase 1

Tasks:Develop Research FrameworkFind Project PartnersEducational Institutions and Non-Educational OrganizationsImplement ALFI Institutional Self-Evaluation – Phase II

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Confirmed Partners for Phase II

Cambrian College – OntarioPrairie West College –SaskatchewanFirst Nations Technical InstituteNova Scotia Community CollegeMaxwell College – Ontario (Private Vocational College)Red River College –ManitobaBrandon University

Ryerson University – Ontario (G. Raymond Chang School of Con. Ed.)Town of Newmarket –Ontario (Human Resources Department)Adult Learning Centres in ManitobaCanadian Auto Workers Education DepartmentAbbot Agency – Ontario Community Based Employment Service

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Manitoba Adult Learning Centres (ALCs)

Background:Adult Learning Centres are registered under the Adult Learning Centres ActMature Student High School Diploma2006-2007: 44 registered and over 70 sitesRegistered and funded on an annual basis

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Why did we participate?

ALFI self-assessment provided a common language To identify gaps To validate what was happeningCommunity based programs Provide adult focussed learning opportunities to adults

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Lessons Learned

Power of the community of learning between the ALCsNeeds to be a voluntary processValue in sharing of best practiceSelf assessment tool was valid for ALCsProved to be extremely valuable for the ALCsTeam building process (staff development)High level of esteem to be an ALFINeed to update the self assessment

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ALFI Presentation in Winnipeg

Organized by Adult Secondary Education Council (ASEC)50 adult educatorsIntroduction of the ALFICan Sharing of experiences by 4 ALCsTest driving the tool

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Adult Learning Centres: Next Steps

ASEC: plans to lead an ALFI groupASEC: presentation at the conference this weekMentoring of new ALFIsSelf assessments valuable for application process for registrationCollaboration and sharing of workSharing of Best Practice between ALCsInvolving the adult learners in the self assessment

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Phase II - Implementation

Steps and Tasks:1. Create National Advisory Body2. Advisory Board Meeting3. Identify Institutional Coordinators4. Meet with Institutional Coordinators and Team

Members5. Project Partners perform institutional self-evaluation6. Follow-up visits 7. Prepare and distribute Summary Report8. Reconvene National Advisory Body9. Publish study results.

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Purpose of ALFICan Workbook

Guide to help institutions to become more adult learning focused

Assist in gaining institutional support to respond to changing demographics

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Provides Content, Tools and Information to:

Informally assess your institution’s services to adult learnersLocate and mobilize vital institutional and community support/resources to identify and close gaps in services to adult learnersParticipatory and action-oriented“Take the pulse” of your institution related to adult learner services

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Collecting Evidence to Support Best Practice Performance

Best evidence is directly related to principles/performance indicatorsLearner feedback (surveys, letters, kpi)Annual reports from departments, schoolsExamples of changes implementedLearning outcomes – departments, programs, coursesFaculty training – programs, resourcesObservation of class sessionsDiscussions with adult learnersMemberships in organizations promoting adult learning agendaBooks, publications

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Triangulation of Evidence

Formal (Written) Institutional Mission Statement

Teaching/Learning Process

Syllabi from a variety of courses in which adult learners are the majority

Letters of verification from current students and recent adult learner graduates

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ALFI Focus Group –May 30 & 31, 2006

ALFI Principles of Best Practice:A healthy process;Can facilitate change; andEnable adult education providers to best position themselves in marketplace.

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Conclusions

ALFI principles are a useful way to identify strengths, gaps, inconsistencies in services to adultsFor most part, ALFI principles are applicable in the Canadian contextFinance principle problematic – wide variations in funding approachesStudy confirmed ALFI self-evaluation scale is a reliable method of assessing organizations’performance against benchmarks

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Possible Next Steps

Establish ALFICan practitioner network to advocate for change in service to adult learnersRefining terminology to ensure use in diverse settingsDevelop complementary learner feedback toolCreate ALFICan designation for Institutions completing self-evaluation process